Great Canadian Birdathon 2024: Mike McMillan’s Report

House Wren (Photo by member Allen Murray)

(Photo, above: Northern Flicker. Photo by member Jeff Hiebert)

I had planned to do the birdathon with Barry Jones on either May 13 or May 14. However, the weather was unsuitable those two days. Since Barry was not available on the 15th and 16th I decided to split the 24 hours over those two days. So that I had company and a spotter each day two friends, Jo-Anne Barber and Krystyna Tanner, graciously agreed to accompany me, each for part of a day.

On the 15th Jo-Anne and I intended to start at the Townsend sewage lagoons, but we were unable to get into them. At 1:15 p.m. we began the birdathon at a small stream down the road from the lagoons. Here we heard a Common Yellowthroat and perched on a fence was a Savannah Sparrow.

We drove to Port Dover to check the breakwater where amongst the numerous Ring-billed Gulls were four Common Terns.  At Silver Lake we spotted several Tree Swallows but just one duck, a Mallard.

At the bridge over Hay Creek on the Port Ryerse Road a Phoebe was sitting on a tree branch overhanging the creek.

Just west of Port Ryerse Mike Fletcher invited us to check out his barn where some young Carolina Wrens had been fledging that morning. Unfortunately, the chicks had left the barn but in Mike’s nearby hay field several Bobolinks popped up. Mike and Lorraine explained that they always wait until Bobolink chicks have fledged before haying. As a result, the nests are not destroyed and the Fletchers are rewarded every year with nesting Bobolinks. Here we also counted a Barn Swallow and a Cowbird.

We continued west on Front Road and at a stop on the Fisher’s Glen Road we heard a Carolina Wren. At Turkey Point there were Bank Swallows and along the shore a Killdeer.

As we exited our car at Audrey Heagy’s a Red-bellied Woodpecker was busy at a bird feeder. Here we saw an Eastern Bluebird, a House Finch, heard a House Wren and with Audrey’s help, identified a Broad-winged Hawk flying overhead.

Northern Flicker (Photo by member Jeff Hiebert)

We then headed to the causeway on Long Point. From the car we spotted a Great Egret and a Mute Swan.  At the causeway lookout was an Eastern Kingbird. From here we drove to Walsingham to check Diane Salter’s bird feeders where we added a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, a Downy Woodpecker, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak and an Orchard Oriole to our list.

While driving back south on Highway 59 to the Port Rowan wetland we were startled when a male Northern Harrier suddenly flew across the road right in front of us narrowly missing the windshield.  At the Port Rowan wetland, we got a Yellow Warbler and a Song Sparrow.

After eating our supper at a picnic table at the Port Rowan harbour we watched for Chimney Swifts while sitting on a bench in front of the ice cream shop enjoying ice cream. After failing to spot a Swift we drove to Port Royal to see the Cliff Swallows which nest under the bridge over Big Creek.  While looking at the Swallows we noticed a White-breasted Nuthatch on the bridge railing. Then we headed back to the lookout on the causeway where just visible in the distance were two Sandhill Cranes.

Earlier, when eating supper, we had checked out an Osprey’s nest at the Port Rowan harbour without success. Now we decided to have another look at the nest and this time saw the heads of two young Ospreys.

Our final stop of the day was on the East Quarter Line at Highway 24 and as darkness was settling in, we were able to hear a couple of Eastern Whip-poor-wills and an American Woodcock.

Shortly before 7:00 the next morning I drove through downtown Simcoe to find a Rock Pigeon before picking up Krystyna.  We drove directly to the Old Provincial Park on Long Point looking for songbirds. Here we saw a Gray Catbird, Cedar Waxwings, a Black-throated Blue Warbler, a Black and White Warbler, and a Magnolia Warbler.

From the back corner of the parking lot at Old Cut we had a good view of an adult Bald Eagle sitting on its nest.  A walk around Old Cut produced another warbler — a Northern Parula. At our next stop, the Backus Woods, we walked in to a low, wet area where Prothonotary Warblers nest. Because the foliage was early coming out on the trees and bushes this year along with the early arrival of biting insects the experience in Backus was less than ideal. We failed to see or hear a Prothonotary but did hear a Hooded Warbler and saw a Red-eyed Vireo.

A revisit to Diane Salter’s birdfeeders yielded only a Black-capped Chickadee. We drove to the Timpf property looking for sparrows but the only one we saw was a Chipping Sparrow.

We then headed back to the lookout on the causeway where we had a very pleasant sighting. A pair of Black Terns were circling time and again low over the water so close to us that we didn’t need to use binoculars.

By now only a half hour remained until 1:15. We finished the birdathon by walking up the road to Bayview Cemetery. Here we identified our last bird when a Northern Flicker began to make its call.

Everyone I talked to said it was a strange year for migration which was very sporadic. With songbirds hard to find, failing to get any ducks and shorebirds and missing Barry Jones’ expertise, my species tally of 63 was the lowest ever. However, it was an enjoyable experience having Jo-Anne and Krystyna as company. My thanks to both of them.

When all the money is in it should exceed $5,500: money which will be used for bird conservation programs both locally and across the country.